Wallops turns 70, you're invited to celebrate

Nearly 60 exhibitors are participating in the event, and aircraft from NASA, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard will be on display.

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The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen on the Wallops launch pad in this October 2014 photo. Wallops Flight Facility is opening its gates to the public for an open house Saturday to celebrate its 70th anniversary.(Photo: AP file photo)Buy Photo

Wallops Flight Facility is opening its gates and inviting the public to join in the festivities as it celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

"This is a great opportunity for residents of Delmarva and beyond to visit the facility and see firsthand what goes on inside the gates," Event Coordinator Rebecca Hudson said. "We only do an open house once every five years so it's a rare opportunity for the public to get to see our facilities up close and personal."

Wallops has myriad activities for visitors to get involved with at the open house on Saturday.

A lineup packed with guest speakers noting the history and operations of the facility will kick off the opening ceremony held at 10:30 a.m.

Nearly 60 exhibitors are participating in the event, and aircraft from NASA, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard will be on display.

Throughout the day other speakers will present including TJ Meyer who will speak on Wallops history followed by a compelling presentation by Phil Eberspeaker on the physics of sounding rocket flight. Other speakers include Jay Pittman and Richard Paul.

"We really hope that guests will learn more about Wallops and the missions we conduct," Hudson said. "We really hope that guests see there are so many things that make up Wallops Flight Facility and our mission set is quite expansive."

Guests will have the opportunity to see many facilities that will be open during the day including the sounding rocket manufacturing facility, the balloon research and development lab and the range control center.

In addition, organizations that support Wallops' research efforts will have displays including NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Langley Research Center; the U.S. Navy's Surface Combat Systems Center; Virginia Space and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport; Orbital ATK; LJT and Associates; NASA's James Webb Space Telescope; The Maryland Science Center; and the Salisbury Zoo.

Robotics demonstrations will be conducted by local team members who recently competed in the National First Robotics Competition. There also will be children's activities including model rocket launches at the NASA Visitors Center, Salisbury Zoo demonstration, Engineering Challenges and more.

And of course, no celebration is complete without music as the U.S. Navy Brass Band will be in attendance to provide entertainment. Refreshments and souvenirs will be available for purchase, as well.

While the 70th anniversary open house is meant to celebrate the past 70 years of Wallops Flight Facility and the coming years, Hudson says that their success can be attributed to the community.

"The local community is incredibly supportive of NASA and our missions," she says. "It's an honor to invite the public to our event and I think I speak for the entire Wallops community when I send a heartfelt thank you to Delmarva for supporting our missions."

An opening reception will be held at the Visitor Center from 5-7 p.m. with artwork from more than 300 youth artists from 12 states on display. The work will remain on display at the Visitor Center through Sept. 5.

The People's Choice Award will be voted on by visitors during the opening reception.